Penn State Sports Magazine
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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State quarterback Drew Allar understood the line of questioning. Asked about the Nittany Lions' leadership ahead of the 2024 sea- son, Allar acknowledged his role in im- proving it, but he was also quick to note that there were some excellent leaders elsewhere on the roster. To his great en- thusiasm, the blossoming of junior safety Kevin Winston Jr. served as evidence of that reality. "One guy that I specifically see on a day-to-day basis being a great leader — and he's more of the edgy guy on our team — is K.J. Winston," Allar said. "Ev- erybody respects him. Everybody loves K.J. and his work ethic. And he's not afraid to get in your face and yell at you and tell you you're not doing the right thing, you need to step it up. "I love that about K.J., because we need that on our team and there's a bal- ance to it. Coming from easily one of the top-five hardest workers on the team, the way he takes care of himself and ev- erything [else] is good. K.J. has done a phenomenal job with that." This is a new development for Win- ston. In his first two seasons with the Nittany Lions, his behind-the-scenes demeanor had not been a focal point of his story. Instead, as a gifted prospect from DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Md., one who had parlayed his four-star grade in the On3 Industry Ranking into playing time as a true freshman in 2022, he was mostly viewed externally as a ris- ing star. Taking over for Keaton Ellis, a fifth- year senior who had started 24 games the previous two seasons, Winston turned himself into one of the Nittany Lions' most reliable defensive backs last year. He started all 13 games, finishing with a team-high 60 tackles, and he added 5 pass breakups, 2.5 tackles for a loss, a pair of fumble recoveries and an interception, earning an honorable mention All-Big Ten nod for his efforts. All the while, he was doing more than just amassing statistics and picking up postseason accolades. In the midst of an occasionally frustrating 10-3 season, Winston was coming to realize that the Lions needed strong, vocal leadership. He had been determined to bring a consistent and professional approach to every facet of his football business at Penn State, and he understood that his performance was a necessary precursor to what he wanted to do next. "I'm big on earning the respect of my teammates, for them to respect me talk- ing," Winston said. "Making sure I'm doing what I'm doing before I even say anything or tell somebody else how to do things. I'm big on earning that respect and earning the right to do that." Said by head coach James Franklin to be "totally locked in, totally focused," with football taking on an outsized importance in his life, Winston was being encouraged by coaches and teammates alike to step forward as a team leader "They told me that a little bit during the season last year," he said. "Now I feel like I'm at the point where, when it's time for me to speak up, I'm speaking up. I'm making sure I'm talking to the young guys, but even guys my age and older. When I see something that doesn't look right, I'll let them know. If I see something that looks good, I make sure they know that as well. I'm just making my voice heard when it needs to be." A Strong Finish Winston's emergence last season as one of the Big Ten's best young safeties hasn't hurt his credibility in the effort. His progress was particularly notice- able coming down the season's stretch run. Winston notched a career-high 12 tackles against Michigan, made his first career interception against Rutgers the next week, and closed out the Big Ten slate with a tackle for loss and 2 passes defended against Michigan State. Taking on Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl a month later, Winston amassed his second- highest tackle total of the year with 10 stops. The team has rallied around Winston's example, with players willingly absorb- ing a message that can at times be dif- ficult to hear. Penn State safeties coach Anthony Poindexter compared him to former Nittany Lion All-American Jaquan Brisker, who is now preparing for his third season with the Chicago Bears. "He isn't here to make friends when it comes down to playing football and doing things the right way for us to win," Poin- dexter said. "He doesn't have a problem saying stuff to people, whether you're his friend, best friend. We're trying to win. But that's what real leaders do. "Real leaders say tough stuff to their teammates because it's just how we do things. A lot of times, it's better coming TOUGH LOVE TOUGH LOVE Safety Kevin Winston Jr. sets the tone for Penn State's defense with his rare talent and fearless leadership NAT E BAU E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M In his third season with the Nittany Lions, Winston has emerged as one of the team's vocal leaders. "He isn't here to make friends when it comes down to playing football and doing things the right way for us to win," safeties coach Anthony Poindexter said. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL